[janeheritage]

Hello all and happy New Year.

I'm off to Southmead Poultry at the end of the month to get my first flock (the excitement   !). I was wondering if you all have any advice for me on the composition of the flock, viz which hybrids.

I was thinking of 2 Warrens/ISA Browns because they lay so well and are really tame (one of them even let me, a rank beginner, pick her up!), and one Bovan Nera because I really like how they look. Then I thought either a Speckeldy or a Light Sussex.

The chooks will be living in a large wire-topped run with an apple tree in it (about 5m x 3m) when we are not around and pasturing in our garden when we are. Here's a link to a picture of their house:

http://www.pandtpoultry.co.uk/product/categoryid/10/productid/1334

Pre credit crunch housing, lucky birds!

Any views, suggestions, disagreements?

Thanks!

[Lardman]

Its a real problem isn't it  

It depends on what you want the birds for really. As I understand it you really aren't going to notice the difference in hybrid layers, and with 3 or 4 birds you should have plenty of eggs. So its all down to bird temperament, aesthetics and egg colour.

If it were me Id go for a Warren, Bovan Nera, white ranger and id try and squeeze a speckeldy in there too. You should get a nice mix of egg shell colours and bird personalities.

Thats what I did so I must be right      

[happy chick]

My personal bird wish list would be Warrens for quantity/friendliness and then the following pure breeds for egg colour/looks;

Araucana/Cream Legbar - blue/green eggs, funny hairdos
Barnevelder - brown eggs really lovely plumage
Leghorn - white eggs can be flighty
Light Sussex - too many pluses to mention; favourites with lots of people

I know the above aren't hybrids but I couldn't resist mentioning them  :oops: and you did mention Light Sussex - good choice  

We bought our house from pand t; a few issues just make sure the perches are included when it arrives (ours weren't!)  and don't build until the perches arrive because they can't be fitted retrospectively  :evil: My other gripe with our particular house was that the perches would have been lower than the nest box if OH had fitted them where they were supposed to go  :roll:  A few extra hooks and bolts have also been needed to make our house more user friendly.  Having said all of the above I suppose for the money they cost they do represent good value for money and the man at pand t does his best to deal with any problems you may have....

.....although don't tell him you're planning to use straw in the house because he believes (and I quote) that straw brings mites into the house  :roll:  People on here have advised me that this isn't the case!!

Good luck with selecting your girls;when you get them remember not to worry about niff, naff and trivia (yeah, like that's gonna happen) and above all enjoy them!!!

[WhatCameFirst]

Hi, we got our two ISAs and two Sussex hybrids from Southmead and are delighted with them.  Well, I take that back.. one of the Sussexes is a bit sociopathic when it comes to people but we don't hold it against her!

[andreadon]

You've got to get the Amber star - i'm pretty sure it's the same as a silverlink (which is one of ours) - they're really easy to train to jump for spaghetti and their eggs are massive and brown with dark brown speckles. and reliable - she lays double yolkers instead of having a day off laying!
i shouldn't have favourites, but jessica would be mine if i were to have a favourite....

our others were bovans nera, and i highly recommend those too - the one we have left lays the most perfect eggs ever - every one is the same size shape and colour!
they are beautiful too, the feathers are black with a "green when they catch the light" tinge. (a few orange feathers too, and that adds to the beauty, i think)